New child care center moving into East Dundee shopping center
A shuttered East Dundee day care will get new life when a similar business concept moves into the River Valley Square Shopping Center.
The village board on Monday unanimously approved granting a special-use permit to allow Ideabox Childcare to operate at 460 Dundee Ave. The site previously underwent hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of renovations to accommodate Safari Childcare, which ceased operations a few years ago, Village Administrator Jennifer Johnsen said.
"It's been built out and there's been significant investment in it," she said. "It's a good location."
Ideabox aims to provide some flexibility and support to families in the area, co-owners Dwight Simmons and Vicky Camilo-Simmons said in an application to the village. "We'll provide excellent child care services so parents can go to work without worrying about their kids' safety, well-being and education," they said.
The facility fills one of a handful of available storefronts in the River Valley Square Shopping Center, which has recently generated interest from several potential developers, Village President Lael Miller said. The strip mall is about half vacant, he said, including the big-box retail site formerly occupied by Dominick's.
Ideabox Childcare will have the same layout as Safari: nine classrooms, a 4,000-square-foot outdoor play area, and a large indoor gym used for events and play time during inclement weather, according to village documents.
East Dundee previously had a space requirement of 150 square feet per child, based on 25 percent of the facility's capacity, for an outdoor play area. Trustees on Monday agreed to eliminate that stipulation from the village code, relying instead on the Department of Children and Family Services' standard of 75 square feet per child.
"Why would we be stricter than DCFS?" Miller said.
The child care center will have about 25 staff members overseeing an estimated capacity of 146 children, who will range from 6 weeks to 6 years old, according to village documents. The facility is expected to operate from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.